FREE INTERACTIVE STORY · AGES 6–8
The Map in the Bottle: a free interactive story
A green bottle washes up on a tiny island with a map rolled up inside. Captain Kit and our hero must decide which clue to follow: the palm trees, the rock pool or the little boat. Each path leads somewhere different.
- Reading age 7
- 1 short chapter, 1 choice and 3 endings
- About 2 minutes
- Adventure
Read the story
Choose your hero
Paint it your way
Chapter 1The bottle on the beach
The island was so small that Poppy could walk all the way round it before breakfast.
That morning, something green glinted at the edge of the water. It was a bottle, with a cork in the top.
Captain Kit pulled out the cork with her teeth. Inside was a curl of old paper, tied with string.
It was a map of their very own island! Three things were drawn on it: two palm trees, a rock pool and a little boat.
Underneath, someone had written in wobbly letters: “Follow one clue to find the surprise.”
Biscuit the parrot flapped onto Poppy’s shoulder. “Choose, choose!” she squawked.
What happens next is up to your child
Which clue should Poppy follow?
Questions for grown-ups to ask
Did you spot it?
- EasyWhat was inside the bottle?Answer: A map of the island, tied with string.
- MediumWhat three clues were on the map?Answer: Two palm trees, a rock pool and a little boat.
- HarderCaptain Kit says “Some treasure is for listening to.” What do you think she means?Answer: That treasure doesn’t have to be gold: a beautiful shell, a garden or a new view can be just as precious.
Talk about it
- If you found a map, what would you hope was at the end of it?
- Which ending had the best surprise? Why?
Words to talk about
- glinted
- Shone with a small, quick flash of light.
- lagoon
- A calm stretch of sea water, sheltered by land or rocks.
- mast
- The tall pole on a boat that holds up the sail.
- scuttled
- Ran with quick, short steps.
Reading it together
The Map in the Bottle is written at Litsee’s reading level for age 7: mostly short sentences, a few longer ones, and some new words (glinted, lagoon, scuttled) that the pictures help to explain.
The three endings each find a different kind of treasure: something to grow, something to listen to and a new way to see. Ask your child which was the best treasure and why. It is a good way to talk about what makes something precious.
Afterwards, draw a map of your own home or garden with three clues on it, and hide a small surprise for someone else to find.
About this story
- Reading age
- 7 (ages 6–8). Written for Litsee’s reading level for age 7, where sentences are mostly 7–12 words long.
- Length
- 1 short chapter, 1 choice and 3 endings. Each way through is 171–177 words.
- Reading time
- About 2 minutes for a 7-year-old reading on their own, at Litsee’s pacing of 85 words a minute for that age. Reading aloud to your child is usually quicker.
- Book band
- Roughly Gold to Lime, if your child’s school uses book bands (schemes differ; see our book bands guide).
- Characters
- Captain Kit, a friendly pirate, a parrot called Biscuit, a crab
- Theme
- Adventure